Posted by Bah humbug?
a resident of Downtown
on Dec 3, 2009 at 11:24 am

Would this be the 'Christmas" parade? I guess that's not P.C., but dammit that's what the 'holidays' are about. Don't be afraid to call it what it is.
You have more support for celebrating Christmas than the detractors, atheists, and other naysayers would have you believe.

Posted by The Grinch
a resident of Castlewood Heights
on Dec 4, 2009 at 8:10 am

Maybe Christmas, he thought doesn't come from a store maybe Christmas in fact, means a little bit more, Welcome Christmas ....."
His heart grew THREE times that day! <3 <3 <3 You see, even the Grinch is not afraid to celebrate "Christmas!"

Posted by SteveP
a resident of Downtown
on Dec 4, 2009 at 10:34 amSteveP is a registered user.

Bob/David--no one is denying you or your creed, ethnicity, whatever, their ability to celebrate your own events.
I'm sure if someone in the area wanted to hold a Kwanzaa parade they would call it that and not try to water down or rename it. Why do you have a problem with celebrating Christ's birth? It IS the reason for the season (and all else).
See you both at WalMart on the 25th.

Posted by Lori
a resident of Vineyard Hills
on Dec 4, 2009 at 11:17 am

No one here in the U.S. is denied the right to celebrate their religion freely here. Before recently, it has ALWAYS been called the Christmas Parade AND the Christmas tree (in front of the Museum) instead of the "Holiday Parade" and the "Holiday Tree." Just leave the traditions alone and feel free to create your own, if you like. No one is stopping you.

We need to cut religion, at least Christianity, out of California forever. All of those cities with Christian names need to change...San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, etc...those city names are just promoting a Christian agenda. How can it be that our state capital city's name is christian affiliated, we should just call it Capital City. The other cities we just name by size...Los Angeles is city #1 and so on. TAKE CHRISTIANITY OUT OF THIS STATE!

Posted by Not surprised
a resident of Downtown
on Dec 4, 2009 at 10:14 pm

Bob and David, you two are the only posters that brought up the idea of banning non-Christians from the Christmas Parade and implying the Christians want Jews to leave the country. Nobody else wrote of even implied that. How odd that you would try to pin those hateful thoughts on others.

I think the point trying to be made here by some of the posters is that no other group of people would be guilted into changing the name of their event...just Christians. That gets tiresome for us Christians that have NO problem observing and respecting other people's holidays.

Posted by not an extremist
a resident of Mohr Park
on Dec 5, 2009 at 9:48 pm

It is and always has been a Christmas Parade. And, all are welcome to come and have a great time. DO NOT however expect us to change the name so that you feel more "COMFORTABLE" showing up and participating.

That's like trying to change the name of San Francisco's "GAY PRIDE" parade to "PRIDE" parade so that heterosexuals can be included without being offended.

There are plenty of towns and days in the year and streets to parade on very for everybody to express their beliefs. Stop bullying the Christians!!!

Posted by David
a resident of Foothill Farms
on Dec 5, 2009 at 11:23 pm

Well (a) you already have changed the name and (b) if you want a parade that is just for Christians and only about Christmas, go have your church sponsor one.

The Gay Pride parade is sponsored by the gay community. There's no comparison. This is sponsored by the City of Pleasanton and is therefore for all Pleasantons and about whatever holidays people in Pleasanton celebrate.

Unless you're going to start banning people marching of different faiths and promoting different values.

Posted by Wayne
a resident of another community
on Dec 6, 2009 at 1:06 pm

Xtains too easily adopt the conclusions of those they respect. It makes you look at best naive.

I think you all are really pathetic.

Because a Xtain will repeat just about anything without thinking as long as they believe their regularly scheduled programmer. If you don't think you're being programed ask yourself why you so easily repeat racist, selfish, and destructive language.... verbatim. Why do you think those quotes are delivered to you with such misplaced emotion? How else do you think they get that crap to stand out. You repeat exactly what they want. They give you the personal fortitude to be deeply offensive, and selfish.

PS. I was born on Christmas day, by a Jewish doctor who informed my mother upon entering the delivery room that I had interrupted his Christmas dinner.

Posted by not an extremist
a resident of Mohr Park
on Dec 7, 2009 at 12:23 pm

David, a)I said "all are welcome to come and have a good time". Nobody on this topic has ever said they "want a parade just for Christians". WE ONLY OBJECT TO CHANGING THE NAME

b) Christmas celebrations do not just happen in church. Look around you. See the lights on the houses, the Christmas plays and films at the theaters, the shoppers, the Santas out in public, the family and friends gathering in homes. Christmas traditions extend outside the church and have for centuries.

c)I am not gay, but have been to a gay pride parade. But, I don't expect the name to get changed. It is sponsored by San Francisco and it's residents. This is EXACTLY the same as Pleasanton and it's residents who "sponsor" the Christmas Parade.

Posted by not an extremist
a resident of Mohr Park
on Dec 9, 2009 at 12:35 am

Okay David, Yes I looked at the "gay pride of 2009" parade website. It has expanded to include gay, transexual, lesbian, and transgender. Speaking on my gay brothers behalf, they just didnt' want to exclude people in the "Gay subcategoies".

It is still the gay pride parade. You see want you want to see David. But you are not logical on this.

It is the Christmas Parade, has been for many years. I would love to partictipate in a Hannika event with my Jewish friends. I purchase candles and menorah's for them and have great support and respect for their traditions.

It all boils down to respecting others and allowing their most valuable traditions, which have been around for centuries, to continue. Hence, the Christmas Parade.

Posted by Chris
a resident of Alisal Elementary School
on Oct 3, 2010 at 2:38 pm

This is sad. It is a Christmas parade and everybody knows it. Some spineless politicians renamed it to placate a group of sniveling whiners who think that they know best how everybody else should live. I'm not Christian and I'm not offended. What is wrong with our society. Must we change everything to accommodate every group? If you don't like Christmas, don't attend the Christmas/Holiday Parade.

I'd think that any comments related to this page would be about how excited we are to see our kids and community out having fun together.

Maybe everybody should take a break and worry about things that really matter, such as how are we going to fund our schools, so that our kids don't end up as naive and ignorant as most of the people who have commented on this page.

Posted by Patriot
a resident of Country Fair
on Oct 3, 2010 at 4:30 pm

Oh, we always had a Christmas Parade Downtown Pleasanton, that is until the then "Dream Team" Council members, Becky Dennis, Tom Pico and Mayor Tarver voted to change the name. Dennis was the only one to complain and proposed calling it a Hometown Holiday Parade, because she is not a Christian and therefore did not consider it appropriate. It was such a shame considering that most people in the Community were Christians. So you can thank Becky Dennis for that! Check out the Council minutes back then. I was there.

Posted by GOD
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Dec 3, 2011 at 1:30 pm

This is GOD speaking! I a ashamed of you all using the term "Christian" and insisting that you're following Christ!
You are NOT to judge, to kill one another human beings in the name of GOD! LEARN from those that have come before and after me to to kind and tollerent of other cultures and of your own damn neighbors!

"Posted by Funny, a resident of the Castlewood neighborhood, on Dec 5, 2009 at 8:43 pm

Funny how YOU CHRISTIANS are the most judgemental and least tolerant of you neighbors! Thats exactly why Christians "values" are NOT CHRIST values!"

Posted by Laurie Gilmore
a resident of another community
on Dec 1, 2012 at 9:30 am

I am a resident of Walnut Creek and love Pleasanton. My daughter will be a participant in the parade as she was in the Walnut Creek Christmas Parade. At our parade they announced the Manora Lighting Ceremony to be held soon in Walnut Creek. That may be a positive solution to honor both Christmas and Hanakkuh. I hope it will be changed back to The Christmas Parade.